good morning. breaking news. now yemen, protesters stormed the u.s. embassy there this morning amid a new wave of anti-american protests in the middle east. this after that deadly violence at the u.s. consulate in libya. this morning, questions about whether that was a spontaneous uprising or a coordinated terror atta. who is -- the police officer caught on camera grabbing a 77-year-old woman from her car after a traffic stop. >> get out of the car, lady! >> but did her behavior moments earlier leave the officer with no other choice?

and ryan seacrest talks to justin bieber in what could be his most revealing interview yet today, thursday, september 13th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a thursy morning. i'm savannah gurthrie. >> and i'm matt lauer, and we're following breaking news once again this morning. let's take a look at these live images from cairo where security forces are clashing with demonstrators. it's near the u.s. embassy and it's happening for a second straight day. this after angry protesters made it on to the grounds of the embassy in yemen's capital city overnight. >> there are reports that the perimeter of the compound there was breached and american flags burned. but we're told order has now been restored at the embassy in

yemen. meantime, a u.s. warship has arrived off the libyan coast. a second is expected to arrive in the coming days. and overnight, president obama called the presidents of both libya and egypt to talk about the response to the violence there. >> meanwhile, flags flying at half staff at u.s. government buildings around the world for the four victims of the attack on the consulate in benghazi, libya, including ambassador chris stevens. and mitt romney taking heat from members of his own party for his criticism of the statement from the u.s. embassy in cairo following the initial demonstration there. this morning, we'll hear what president obama has to say about that. and we'll get reaction from republican senator john mccain. we want to get right to nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. i'm now overlooking cairo's famous tahrir square, where the protests were taking place.

now a very different scene. there was an anti-american demonstration also clashes underway. in the corner there, that is the street that leads to the united states embassy. and for the last hour or so, we've been seeing egyptian security guards firing tear gas at protesters trying to keep them away from the embassy walls. a very similar scene going -- taking place right now in the city of yemen in the capital of yemen, where protesters even managed to breach the compound walls. >> reporter: another assault on a u.s. embassy, this time in yemen. protesters threw stones at the embassy walls in the capital. they climbed the gate, set fire, and raised posters denouncing a once obscure u.s.-based internet movie that portrays the prophet mohammed. personnel in yemen were reportedly moved to a secure location.

in cairo, more clashes, but this time, it's egyptian security pushing back. they fired tear gas to drive protesters away from the u.s. embassy in cairo. and the new egyptian president rejected violence against u.s. diplomats in a televised statement and said he told that to president obama in a phone call this morning. wednesday night in an interview with telemundo, the president was asked if the new regime in egypt is an ally. >> i don't think that we would consider them an ally, but we don't consider them an enemy. they are a new government that is trying to find its way. they were democratically elected. >> reporter: in egypt where these demonstrations started, the anger appears to have been spontaneous as hard-line muslims were outraged by the anti-islamic internet video. libya was an altogether

different story. that was an on commando assault with mortars and rpgs on the u.s. consulate in benghazi. the attackers fought gun battles with u.s. and libya personnel for five hours until the u.s. ambassador and others were dead. the attack appeared too well organized to have been entirely spontaneo spontaneous. the libyan government profusely apologized. now washington is hunting the militants responsible. al qaeda cells in libya are a likely target. al qaeda recently threatened retaliation against the u.s. for its killing last summer of al qaeda's second in command, a libyan militant. intelligence officials suggest killing u.s. ambassador chris stevens in benghazi may have been al qaeda's response. a shock to the state department and his friends. >> we've lost really a great statesman. we've lost one of the highest

quality people that anyone could ever know. >> as coffins of the american personnel were loaded on a train in tripoli, outside the white house a candle light vigil to honor the dead amid promises of delivering justice. >> reporter: the clashes in front of the u.s. embassy here are somewhat sporadic. they will have moments of intensity and then die down. they could become significantly worse tomorrow. there are also nationwide demonstrations to denounce any kind of american anti-islamic stance. those demonstrations have been endorsed by the political party of the egyptian president. matt? >> all right, richard engel in cairo for us this morning. thank you very much. michael is an nbc terrorism and national security analyst. he's also the former director of the u.s. national counterterrorism center. michael, good to see you. good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> it seems now unlikely that the situation in benghazi, libya

was some kind of a spontaneous protest over that internet film. it seems much more likely it was a well-planned military-style terrorist attack. give me your thoughts on that. >> i think that's probably right, matt. the way in which these weapons were used, small arms, rocket-propelled grenades. and also once there was resistance, the attackers kept coming for many hours. this really does suggest these were organized militants. now, whether or not they were simply taking advantage of the disruption that was being caused by other protests, how long it was actually planned, what the actual motivation was, it's hard to know. but this really does look different from what we've seen in cairo and today in yemen. >> that's the real point, isn't it? in cairo, the protesters showed up with anti-american banners, and in libya, showed up with small automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades. >> the common theme here, there's obviously a serious

undercurrent of anti-americanism in this region. and with the arab awakening, it's become much easier for that to be expressed. and we are so incredibly reliant on the security of the host nation. their security forces to push back on this and secure our people. but there is this added element in libya, which clearly was organized and intended to kill rather than just a protest. >> well, let me ask you, the president has pledged that justice will be carried out in libya. but given the fact that country has gone through and is still in some ways going through such dramatic change, what are our intelligence abilities and capabilities in that country? >> it's a very difficult environment for us to operate there. we have many agencies there. the department of defense, obviously the intelligence community, the cia and others who will do their best to figure out where this might have come from. the fbi will also go over and do a forensic examination. and with that, we'll start to get indications of who might have been responsible. but ultimately, we still are

going to be very reliant on the government of libya. and thankfully, they have said and done all the right things thus far to pursue this and also secure our institutions in the future. >> thanks for your perspective this morning. i appreciate it. >> my pleasure, good to see you. >> you too. it's 7:09, here's savannah. thanks. senator john mccain was a key advocate for early u.s. intervention in libya and a friend of chris stevens. good morning. >> good morning. >> do you believe that ambassador stevens was the intended target of terrorists? >> i do. i think the indications of how this attack was carried out clearly indicate that's the case. and i'd remind you, savannah, that they just went through a very bloody conflict and there's thousands of weapons in libya. they have a very weak government. this is their first experiment in democracy. the al qaeda elements are throughout the country. their borders are poor, and it

makes for a difficult situation. but our genuine american hero, chris stevens, i was with him on election day on july 7th in libya. and they voted for a moderate government, not an islamic government. the majority of the libyan people are not the kind of people that attacked the u.s. embassy yesterday. >> i know, senator, that chris stevens was a friend of yours. he did not seek out the cushy assignments, what would you want people to know about him? >> well, i think the american people should know he risked his life daily as our representative in benghazi during the conflict that eventually overthrew qadhafi. he had a keen sense of humor, he loved his country, he loved the libyans. and i want to assure you that the last thing chris stevens would want for us to do today is withdraw because democracy does have a chance in libya. and that was his goal. >> let me ask you about the politics of this.

this is one way into the presidential campaign. in the early hours of this, the embassy in cairo issued a statement trying to distance itself from that anti-muslim film. they said they condemned the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of muslims. mitt romney, the republican presidential candidate seized on that and accused the obama administration of basically apologizing for american values. let's set aside the substance of those remarks for a moment. let me ask you about the timing. was it correct for mitt romney to seize on that political opportunity at a moment when the u.s. ambassador had been killed? >> well, first of all, the statement as i understand it was issued before the news of libya came up. it was a very weak statement on the part of -- if you read it in its entirety on the part of the embassy that does speak for the united states of america. they later withdrew it as the violence escalated there.

but what this is all about is american weakness. and the president's inability to lead and iraq is dissolving, our relations with israel are at a tension point. he -- i'd like to see the president of the united states speak up once for the 20,000 people that are being massacred in syria. >> it sounds like you -- >> -- the essence of the american leadership in the region is very weak. i'm saying that the statement that was made about the statement that was made by the u.s. embassy was a very weak statement and an object proof of that is they withdrew that statement and changed it later on. they speak for the united states of america. >> let me play for you president obama's response to mitt romney on telemundo. >> i have observed that there's a tendency to shoot before you aim as i pointed out. and that as president, my obligation is to focus on

security for our people and not having ideological arguments on a day when we are mourning the loss of outstanding, outstanding folks who have served our country very well. >> senator mccain, understanding that you do agree generally with what mitt romney said, did he miss the moment, did he misread the moment at a time when an ambassador was killed, it's a time to set aside politics. >> it's always a time to set aside politics, but the foreign policy is conducted by this president who opposed the surge, by the way. and now with the loss of so many american lives that we're -- in the words of the general, we won the war in iraq and we're losing peace. the situation with iran is such that the president of the united states will not even set deadlines. there is a belief in the middle east that the united states is weak and withdrawing and that's why you're seeing various countries and their leaders

reacting. because they have to live in the neighborhood and they believe the united states is leaving. and this leadership is in a vacuum. and why the president of the united states won't help these syrians that are being massacred as we speak is beyond comprehension. >> well, senator john mccain, it's good to get your perspective. and our condolences on the loss of your friend, the ambassador. >> thank you. let's get a check of the rest of the top stories of the morning. natalie's standing by at the news desk with a new do. >> good morning, matt and savannah. good morning. a u.s. military strike on iran would likely spark a major war in the middle east. this according to a new report from former military and government officials. the assessment finds that iran would retaliate directly and through its allies and says an effective military operation in iran would be more demanding than the wars in iraq and afghanistan combined. this year's outbreak of the west nile virus is on track to be the deadliest ever. cases of the mosquito-bourn

illness have jumped since last week, but the centers of the disease control says the worst of the outbreak has likely past. some 118 people have died from the virus so far this year. the teachers strike in chicago has dragged on into its fourth day. both the union and school district negotiators say they're making progress as talks resume this morning. now let's head to wall street. mary thompson's at the new york stock exchange. all eyes, once again, on the fed. >> that's right. focused on washington because the federal reserve concludes a two-day policy-making meeting today. and it's expected to launch a new bond-buying program and it's stimulating the economy by keeping interest rates low. the fed's efforts come amid concerns of the sluggish pace of the economic recovery even though the stock market continues its march higher. yesterday the dow closed at a 4 1/2 year high. back to you. >> thanks. well, starting next week, mcdonald's will add calorie counts to all of its menu boards with 14,000 locations nationwide. the fast food giant will become

the largest chain to post nutritional information in a bid to help make customers make healthier choices. but if you think the big mac has the most calories on the menu, think again, it's the mcflurry with m&ms at 650 calories per serving. that is going to pack a punch, all right. now back over to matt, savannah, and al. >> it's going to pack a punch. >> get it with the reese's pieces. much better. >> well, we've got this front slowly making its way to the east. you can see all this rain stretching from texas all the way on up into wisconsin. rainfall amounts, some areas picking up up to 4 inches of rain. most of that really concentrated in central and northern texas on into oklahoma. shat's what's going on around

and that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you. apple's much awaited new iphone is finally here. the lightest and thinnest ever, but is it everything users were hoping for? jon fortt is in an apple store in palo alto, california. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. shoppers have more high-end smartphone choices than ever this fall with new phones launching from google and samsung in the past month. but yesterday, it was apple's turn. >> we're going to introduce iphone 5. >> reporter: after weeks of anticipati

anticipation, speculation, and hype, here it is. >> it is an absolute jewel. >> reporter: apple's new smartphone, the iphone 5, lighter, thinner, taller, than previous versions. >> we've updated every aspect of iphone 5. everything has been enhanced, reengineered, redesigned over iphone 4s. >> reporter: the phone is apple's first with 4g-lte, and a brand new mapping program apple ditching google maps for their own. >> in 700 feet, the destination is on your right. >> i can zoom in or tap to rezoom. maybe from 20 feet away, it doesn't look much different, but when you hold it in your hand, touching is believing. >> reporter: new phone, new connector as you can see. it's smaller allowing more features to fit inside the newer phone. a new connector also means all of those accessories iphone users already own won't work with the iphone 5. >> well, we're creating a bunch of accessories to help you with that. this is a 30-pin to lightning

adapter and works just like you'd expect. you can plug your 30-pin cable into it and into your iphone 5. >> analysts predict apple will sell well over 40 million units by the end of the year. maybe up to 200 million units by the end of next year. a potential boost to the u.s. economy. >> this is going to be huge. in a year, about 1 in every 5 people, we estimate in the u.s. is going to be using an iphone 5. that could add close to 1% to our overall gdp. >> apple has sold more than 244 million iphones since its debut in 2007. but with samsung narrowly leading the market in overall smartphone sales, apple's hoping 5 is the magic number. >> reporter: lots of tough competition out there for the iphone 5 this season, but hey, when apple does a big launch like this, their iphone is still the one to beat. now we're looking to see if apple also releases the mini ipad by the holiday season, matt. >> all right, jon fortt, thank

you very much. what's your favorite feature on the iphone 5? head to today.com and we'll share the results next hour. i can tell you how it's going to go in terms of who here will buy the iphone 5. we'll all say no, and he'll show up with it and we'll all go, oh, i've got to have one of those. >> except for the connector, i'm surprised you don't have it yet. >> i think they should have gone with the mini -- the usb -- >> they're going to get it. >> probably. >> he's already ordered it. >> well, moving on. how would you like to be walking down the street and have fistfuls of cash roll your way? not too bad. it happened in los angeles during a bizarre and dangerous high-speed chase. >> it all began when four armed men held up a bank and they fled in a stolen suv. now, as police closed in, two of the suspects started dumping money, seemingly to cause problems for their pursuers. >> reporter: cops, robbers, and plenty of cash. >> okay.

up on the sidewalk. >> reporter: not a hollywood blockbuster, just a highly unusual crime scene. wednesday in south los angeles, police chased a vehicle with four suspected bank robbers at speeds reaching 110 miles per hour. >> oh, wow. look. >> reporter: as many as a dozen cruisers jumped in pursuit. the real surprise was the money. for reasons known only to them, the suspects rolled down the windows and started tossing out cash. >> whoa, look at that. >> reporter: with the chase playing out live on tv, it didn't take long for people to start lining the streets, waiting for a passing windfall, rushing for the dollars they created a human obstacle course for the pursuing officers. >> this is really crazy. >> reporter: more than an hour after it began, the money trail and the pursuit came to an end. a vehicle pulled in front of the suspects and they were taken into custody. but the lure of free money had drawn a crowd. >> we want money! >> this is a mob scene.

>> reporter: hundreds of spectators swarmed in, some, perhaps, looking for a stray bill. >> he's a robin hood for me. >> reporter: additional officers were called to the scene and soon order and good citizenship were restored. >> i'm told that several people have come up with a little bit of money they picked up on the street, 20s and singles and were looking for a place to turn that in. >> everyone was saying take the money and run. but no, it's not my money. i didn't work for this money. and i came to the station and said, you know what? here's the money i found on the street. >> reporter: during the chase, police took a gps position every time money left the vehicle. they know where to look for it and with the cameras rolling, they have a good start on tracking down anyone who might still be holding on to those stolen bills. >> and all four suspects are now in custody. police are urging anyone who scooped up cash to turn it in. >> good luck with that, right? >> what do you think? what percentage do you think they'll get back?

>> people will turn in, but i don't know -- >> go to our website. >> -- scooping up the money, perhaps. >> yeah, maybe. natalie, thanks. coming up, a 77-year-old driver dragged from her car after being pulled over for speeding. did she leave him no other choice? but first, this is "today" on nbc.

all right. you picked on my play list all week, now what's your play list? >> "thunder row," prepare for a trips to the '70s and a jet rocket ride into the 21st century. ll my sports... catch the latest breaking news... keep in touch with friends... follow the financial headlines... find a great restaurant... and with siriusxm i can get weather forecasts... all from here. in my mercedes-benz.

[ male announcer ] introducing mbrace2. the most comprehensive cloud-based telematics system on the road. it's your world, from your car. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. >> good morning, everybody. i'm stan stovall. here is a look at one of our top stories. montgomery county delegate heather mazer announced yesterday she will introduce a bill to keep fracking from western maryland. it is the controversial method of dealing -- drilling for natural gas in marcella shale. she says the process should wait until a scientific study. an executive order by governor on malik assembled a panel charged with recommending best

drilling practices by august 2014. let's get a check of the morning commute. here's the sarah caldwell. >> definitely a busy rush hour once again as we are dealing with accident. westminster, manchester road, watch for an accident, and broad avenue delays involving a crash clearing and one wrapping up ruxton near the jfx. n outer loop from parkville to harrisburg expressway, reisterstown road all the way down. 29 miles an hour southbound to 95 down toward 32. northbound route 10, furnace branch, accident. we will update you on 795 at franklin boulevard, delays southbound all the way toward the beltway. we will switch to 70 west, not bad here but intimates and delays -- intermittent delays.

>> another beautiful start this thursday morning. comfortable, cold. 55 of the airport and 54 at westminster. watching a little rain, across the midwest. a few showers friday night or early -- and early saturday morning. sunshine this afternoon. high temperatures between 78-83 degrees. as we head into the weekend, the clouds thickening up tomorrow and a chance for a

7:30 now on a thursday morning, september 13th, 2012. >> oh, come on. >> the sound in the audience, it's good taste. and that is "i'm not in love." natalie, do you even remember this? >> i know this song. yes, i do remember this. >> what year? >> i'm guessing '77. >> '75. >> not far off. >> "big boys don't cry." >> big boys don't cry. >> what a nice selection. >> sorry for being shocked. a little bit shocked.

>> anyway, more music throughout the morning. >> we're going to continue hearing it. >> is zz top on the list? >> no, didn't make the play list. >> the window into matt's soul, a disturbing place. anyway, just ahead, a "today" exclusive, ryan seacrest sitting down with justin bieber for a revealing interview, including where does he see his career going from here? and the latest on the duke and duchess' tour of asia. kate delivered her first international speech. we'll hear from her. what you can do have if you have had a real estate deal derailed by a bad appraisal. >> a lot of people going through that. but we're going to begin more with that anti-islamic film playing a role in the violence in the middle east. it was shot in a studio in duarte, california. and that's where mike taibbi is this morning. good morning to you. >> reporter: one question, was there really a completed film? all anybody's seen so far is an

amateurist 14-minute trailer posted on the internet in english and later in arabic. and by the way, after screening it, nbc news has decided not to broadcast any of it. who is the mystery man behind the film? and did any of the actors know what kind of film they were making? >> reporter: the film was supposedly going to be titled "desert warrior" described in last summer's casting call as a desert adventure film. but instead of an adventure film, the video, some of which was shot here and retitled innocence of muslims is a non-stop sequence of insults and vulgar claims against islam and the prophet mohammed. >> if they're depicting mohammed in negative terms, i could see about any muslim to be insulted. very much like if you depict, for example, jesus christ in very negative terms, most

devoted christians would be alienated. >> reporter: in that casting call sheet, the producer is listed as sam bassiel. but a key motive behind the film is spokesman steven klein. klein has led anti-islamic protests and leafletting campaigns and has an internet show called "wake up america" on a christian website the way. in the same building where the video was shot. klein said he is a pseudonym for the producer who came to him for help. >> and knew that i wouldn't back down, i wasn't afraid to tell the truth on this stuff. >> reporter: but two of the film's actors say the film makers were never truthful with them. one provided nbc with what he said were pages from the screen play to show the name mohammed and the most offensive lines were not in the original script and all were dubbed in later. another said the cast was misled completely about what the film would depict. >> when i first saw the trailer,

i was like confused. and i thought, what did he do to this movie, you know? it was supposed to be something different. >> reporter: steven klein voiced neither regrets or apologies. but hate speech monitors have had klein on their radar for years. >> steven klein has been involved with extreme groups that are anti-muslim and portray themselves as pro christian. particularly those that he believed are protecting the united states from a third jihad. >> reporter: well, one of the actresses told us she's in fear now and ready to sue if she can figure out whom to sue. and one of the actors said if any of us had any idea what the film was going to portray, probably all of us would've walked off the set. >> thank you. now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> all right, savannah, thank you so much. we've got some changes going on. temperature wise, ahead of this front. look at these temperatures, up into the upper 80s. temperatures anywhere from 5 to

10 degrees above normal. behind the front, temperatures anywhere from 5 to 20 degrees below normal. so big changes as you make your way through the plains. afternoon highs today will be climbing up into the 80s and 90s along the eastern sea board. 60s and 70s back through the pacific northwest, 90s through the southwest. we are expecting plenty of sunshine up and down the eastern sea board with a chance of a shower or thunderstorm or two. beautiful day also in the pacific northwest. >> it is going to be another nice day. temperatures in the lower end of the 80's, a little above average to the time of year. a cool start.

keep track of your weather, always check out the weather channel on cable or weather.com. matt? >> all right, al, thanks so much. now to what started out as a routine traffic stop and ended for the 77-year-old woman dragged from her car. and it was all caught on tape. natalie's here with that story. natalie? >> well, matt, this happened in texas. the elderly driver was pulled over for speeding, and when she refused to show a police officer her identification, he took action. >> caught you on my laser at 66 -- >> reporter: this video taken from the police officer's dash cam and also a small camera mounted on his uniform shows the officer after he pulled over 77-year-old lynn bedford for allegedly driving 66 miles per hour in a 50 miles per hour zone. again and again he asked her for her driver's license and insurance. >> just hurry up, i've got to go to the bathroom. >> i need to see a driver's license -- >> i have a bladder infection. >> driver's license and insurance, please. >> you listen to me. >> no, i want to see a driver's

license and insurance, then i'll listen to you. >> when bedford told the officer to wait, he gave her an ultimat ultimatum. >> i'll give it to you in a minute. >> i'll take you to jail. >> go ahead. >> six times the officer then directed bedford to get out of the vehicle. >> get out of the vehicle. step out of the vehicle. get out of the vehicle. get out of the vehicle. you want to play it this way. come on, get out of the vehicle. >> reporter: when bedford refused, the struggle escalated. >> you are hurting me. >> get out of the vehicle. >> i'm going to report you hurt me. >> okay. step out of the vehicle. step out of the vehicle! >> i will not. >> get out of the vehicle, lady. >> reporter: the officer called for backup and then forced bedford out of her suv. >> i need backup. get out of the car, lady. >> oh, oh -- >> you're under arrest. get out of the vehicle. put your hands behind your back, lady. >> the officer ticketed bedford for speedi and failure to identify herself.

>> have a seat right here. >> she was later released but has since hired a lawyer who said bedford has not decided whether she will file a lawsuit and that she was suffering from a medical condition when the officer overreacted. >> she was having urgent symptoms. the officer is not very interested in listening to what she has to say. she gets a little frustrated and then he just overwhelms her. that's what i see. and he goes from routine stop to ridiculous stop. >> you're under arrest. >> city officials reviewed the tape, they are standing by the sergeant. they say he asked bedford multiple times for her license and insurance and followed department policy for someone who refuses to provide identification, matt. >> and we want to know what our viewers think about this. do you think the officer acted appropriately? you can go to our website at today.com and actually give us your opinion. we'll give you the results of that coming up. and still ahead, an exclusive interview with justin

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barbara is here to walk us through. and let's lay out the problem. how serious is this issue of low appraisals? is it hurting the recovery of the housing market? >> it's crippling the recovery. it's the largest single problem in the housing market right now. because when the appraisals are taken in low, 1 in 3 sales fall apart, the deal is never made. >> and to back up briefly, if the buyer and seller can agree on a price, but the bank is not going to give you a loan for that price if the appraisal comes in lower. >> you can have three or four people bidding on the house, but when that appraisal comes in lower, that deal is not going to get made usually because the buyer already feels like he doesn't want the house. and secondly, he can't get the right financing. >> it sinks the deal. >> certainly does. >> kiss of death. how do appraisers arrive at that? >> go back six months to a year and average out the last sales in that period of time for homes that are similar to yours. if you're in a rising market, which most of the cities in new york -- the cities in america are now in a rising market, what

happens is your house gets undervalued. >> seems like a vicious cycle because housing prices have been depressed if they're looking at comparable properties, they're going to get a lower appraisal. a lot of these are short sales or foreclosures. is it fair to compare those? >> it's a disaster when it's added up in the list of sales they're counting. and in some areas it makes sense like portions of florida or las vegas where typically there are so many short sales. but if you had a short sale nine months ago in your neighborhood and every sale has been high since, your appraisal value could drop by 10% or 15%. >> what's the reason here? are appraisers afraid? overworked? >> i think good intentions are the problem here. we had a lot of state and federal legislation put in rightfully to protect the consumer against appraises in collusion with lenders. but what happened is the market turned around, the legislation came out too late, and now local appraisers have been knocked out of the market and these giant appraisal houses are doing

underpraise sunde underappraisals. >> what can you do? >> provide data to the appraiser when he comes, particularly all-cash sales are not usually listed anywhere from your broker and certainly challenge anything wrong like bedroom counts, square footage, and lastly, you could ask for a new appraisal, but typically it doesn't work so you should pay for a new one. >> thank you. >> my pleasure. still ahead, a big announcement about a huge act coming to our plaza. but up next, the duchess of cambridge makes her first overseas speech. we're live right after this. ♪ this is the car that loves to have fun ♪ ♪ mile after mile, to and from ♪ now there are four for all to use ♪ ♪ tell the neighbors, friends, everyone the news ♪ ♪ and let's hum, hum, hum, hum ♪ ♪ let's hum ♪ a prius for everyone ♪ there's a bigger one, if you want more space ♪ ♪ a small one if the city's your place ♪ ♪ and even one you can plug in ♪ so hop on in and give one a spin ♪ ♪ and let's hum, hum, hum, hum ♪ ♪ let's hum ♪ a prius for everyone

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back now at 7:48 with the big moment for the duchess of cambridge. she's in the middle of a tour of the south pacific, and this morning, kate made her first overseas speech. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. you're right, this was a big day for kate. the crowd gathered here, well, they're just excited to see the duchess, they were excited to hear what she had to say. >> reporter: belting out a rousing chorus of the national anthem, these kindergarteners couldn't wait to see the duchess, neither could a young patient here who has leukemia. kate's support for hospice malaysia which provides care and relief for the terminally ill. but thursday, she did much more than put in an appearance.

>> william and i are hugely excited to be in malaysia. this is our first ever visit and i'm absolutely delighted to have been invited to join you all here at hospis malaysia. >> reporter: that spoke volumes about kate's growing confidence. on the heels of last year's trip to canada and california, royal watchers say the duchess had proved she was ready for the next big step. >> it has been wonderful meeting the patients, families, and all the staff here. you have given us the most wonderful welcome. >> reporter: the duchess chooses causes like hospis carefully aware her spotlight can spark a thousand points of light around the world. >> she's beautiful. and the fact that she's so warm-hearted and she comes across genuine and, you know, that she loves children. yeah, she's wonderful.

>> reporter: earlier thursday, before leaving singapore, the duke and duchess paid tribute to fallen british and commonwealth soldiers from world war ii at this cemetery. on this day, a focus not on what kate wore, but how she wears the mantle of royalty. a job in which a working lunch means dining with heads of state and high-profile events like thursday's appearance with the prime minister of malaysia are all in a day's work. >> reporter: and that continues tonight, the duke and duchess have dinner that is hosted by his majesty the king of malaysia. but judging from what we've seen so far, matt, kate will continue to wow them. >> all right. thank you very much. well, earlier we were talking about the iphone 5, we asked you to tell us what the new feature you liked the most. the 4-inch display, 37% of you liked. >> longer battery life, very

important. it's been a weak spot. >> yeah, a lot of folks, me included use one of those battery pack case combos. >> its weight, 5%. >> it's thin and light. i think the camera feature, i think a lot of people love that. >> that's good. all right. >> they said camera, the sales of stand alone cameras and video cameras have dropped precipitously in the last -- >> i believe that. i'm fine. my iphone takes better pictures than my really nice camera. >> all right. >> what's this? >> stones as we go out this half hour. this is another song from the playlist, 1969. i promise we're going to get back current in a little while. >> is there bieber on your list? >> no. >> there's bieber in the show coming up right after your local news. us. and everyone likes 50% more [ russian accent ] rubles. eh, eheh, eh, eh. [ brooklyn accent ] 50% more simoleons. [ western accent ] 50% more sawbucks. ♪ [ maine accent ] 50% more clams. it's a lobster, either way.

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>> good morning. i'm mindy basara. time for a check of your morning commute. here's sarah caldwell. >> good morning. a handful of accidents. let's get you up-to-date heading out any time soon right at route 24 and we'll road at abingdon, and delays 95 stretching back to 152 due to an earlier disabled vehicle. padonia road and brought avenue and reisterstown -- reisterstown road and it manchester, an accident.

another at elkridge landing road. let's give you a live view of traffic and update you on an accident northbound 95 in the area of 395. at least the right lane closed and delayed developing north as you approach 395. 83 at york road, no delays out of the parkton region, all the way down to padonia road. >> very little change for us. a beautiful morning. 55 in westminster. same thing in jarrettsville. out of the midwest, may produce a touch of rain friday night into saturday morning. really does not look like a big deal but up until that time the web will stay the same. mostly sunny is the forecast. after the cold start, upper 70's total 80's. as we had to the weekend, but clouds will thicken up a during the day tomorrow. late in the afternoon, the cloud will come in and a slight chance of rain friday night into or early saturday morning.

after that, the rest of the weekend should be fine. clearing up in the afternoon saturday, sunday looks gorgeous sunshine 78. looks like we will keep the patter 4g lte has the fastest speeds. so let's talk about coverage. based on this chart, who would you choose ? wow. you guys take a minute.

verizon, hands down. i'm going to show you guys another chart. pretty obvious. i don't think color matters. pretty obvious. what's pretty obvious about it ? that verizon has the coverage. verizon. verizon. we're going to go to another chart. it doesn't really matter how you present it. it doesn't matter how you present it. verizon. more 4g lte coverage than all other networks combined.

♪ >> get your dance shoes and your dance moves ready. the south korean sensation is bringing his moves live to our plaza tomorrow on "today." that song is a run away hit with 57 million hits on youtube. now it is climbing to the top ten on itunes. and this is where the review comes in. we have a challenge for you. if that song hits the top three on itunes tomorrow, by the time he performs for us, we are going to have an exclusive.

now what that is -- >> i'm not sure. >> i do not know. you've got to get the song up to three on itunes. >> you've got to get your suit. >> they're mesmerized. >> it's going to be the event tomorrow. >> it is. we have another big announcement about music. >> speaking about music, remember when one direction was here back in march? remember what the plaza looked like that day? >> crazy. >> it was crazy. batten down the hatches, because they are coming back in november tod debut their brand new album. and we're making it a two-day event because they're so huge. it gets underway on tuesday, november 13th. mark your calendars. and guys, by the end of today, how many calls do you think you'll have on your voice mail from your friends asking can i bring my daughter? >> exactly. accompanied by a teenage squeal. ryan seacrest has a great

interview with justin bieber that's revealing and candid and shows a side of justin bieber a lot of us haven't seen until now. we'll see that in a few moments. and we've got the premiere of "saturday night live." it's coming up this weekend. seth myers is here, he's going to tell us what to expect. they've got three new cast members and a whole lot going on. we're going to check in with seth in a minute. let's go inside, natalie standing by at the news desk with all of the headlines. natalie? good morning, everyone. police in berlin say part of the u.s. consulate in berlin was evacuated this morning as a precaution after a man arrived with suspicious paperwork. up to three consulate staff members then complained about respiratory problems. the unidentified man was being questioned by german authorities. this as anti-american unrest escalates in the middle east this morning. protesters stormed the u.s. embassy in yemen's capital city. they set fires, they smashed windows outside the compound before breaking through the main gate. the u.s. diplomatic personnel

were moved to a secure location. an anti-islam film produced in the u.s. is being cited as the trigger for the violence. and that same internet film is blamed for inciting protests in egypt. meantime, the pentagon is sending two warships to the coast of libya where an armed attack on the u.s. consulate on tuesday killed four americans, including ambassador chris stevens. earlier on "today," john mccain said he faulted president obama's policy in the region. >> what this is all about is american weakness and the president's inability to lead. i'd like to see the president of the united states speak up once for the 20,000 people that are being massacred in syria. there's an absence of american leadership in the region and they are very weak. >> senator mccain was a key advocate of early u.s. intervention in libya and also a friend of murdered ambassador chris stevens. and now for a look at what is trending today.

what has you talking online. the new 2013 guinness book of world records is out, and these entries are a big deal online. there's the world's biggest biceps, larger than the average human head. look at that. also, zeus, the biggest great dane stands at 7'4" on his hind legs, towering over the kitty. and from chicago, the world's biggest hot dog, a 7-pound hearty size monster designed to feed 40 people. well, as you heard, "saturday night live" returns this week. executive producer lorne michaels says president obama will be played by jay ferrell. this is him doing his impression on youtube. >> i have to say that i really do like you. >> so is jay the right man for the job? or should it go to a popular vote? we're going to talk to seth

myers to ask him about that live coming up. and you knew this was coming. a bay area couple may be the first ones online with this style wedding video. take a look. ♪ ♪ sexy lady >> of course, as you heard, mr. gangnan style himself will join us friday live on "today." 8:05, let's go back outside to matt and savannah. >> did you really say is that on matt's playlist? >> she did. >> that's number four. >> no, that is way too current, let me tell you. mr. roker's got a check of the weather. >> i can't wait for the gangnan style bar mitzvah.

my mom used to play that. they still play canasta? oh, there you go. and then you can play poquino, as well. and we've got our pick city today, ft. myers, florida. nbc 2, scattered showers, thunderstorms, high of 91 degrees. u.s. satellite radar in satellite you can see -- there's a front. i mean, it's pretty clear. from minneapolis all the way down to el paso. heavy showers and thunderstorms down through texas, rain spreading all the way up into the central great lakes. hot day, portland today, 89 degrees. hotter in portland than it'll be in miami. beautiful day here in new york city and boston temperatures in the upper 70s. got a birthday boy. what's your name? >> ben. >> 11 years old, happy birthday, bud. i like

and we've got a brand new teenager. what's your name? >> ashley. >> ashley, happy birthday. had 13 today. anything special? >> i traveled to new york today. >> that's pretty special. happy birthday. mr. matt? >> thanks very much. when we come back, justin bieber tells ryan seacrest about the most romantic thing he's ever done. right after these messages.

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that's two times the rewards! yeah, that's what double is. i know. i was agreeing with you. it's two times. act fast and sign up at cvs.com/doublebucks for double quarterly extrabucks rewards. don't miss getting double quarterly extrabucks rewards. i love 'em! back now at 8:11 with our es exclusive interview with justin bieber. he's about to launch a world tour and out with a new book called "just getting started." and ryan seacrest recently caught up with the international superstar for a very candid conversation. >> i feel like i'm definitely growing up. i mean, i'm 18, but i just -- remember when you were 18. >> not too long ago. >> exactly. i think when you're 18, you're not fully a man yet. i think you're becoming the person you're going to be. but now i feel like i have more responsibilities with different aspects of my life. having to sign more contracts and do more of the business side.

>> i remember being younger, 18 years old, having role models. >> yeah. >> people you look up to. people you admire. who are yours? >> i look up to michael jackson as far as being the ultimate entertainer. his music just has so much passion and emotion in it and i feel like i want that passion and emotion to be portrayed in my music the way he did. >> and you admire the moves, the style. >> is that your phone? >> yeah, it's my phone. i'm 18, i'm always texting. i've got girls texting me all the time. >> it's a moment like this that reminds you justin bieber is still a teen. and a moment like this, an impromptu performance for our crew that shows he's more than a teen sensation. justin bieber is maturing. no longer this kid. ♪ baby, baby oh >> but more like this young adult. >> i just don't want to be another teen heart throb.

because that just annoys me to think that's what people will think of me. i just want to prove people wrong. >> do you think of you made steps -- taken steps to start doing that? >> yes, i think hearing older people say, wow, like this new album's great. i didn't know that was justin bieber. or "as long as you love me," that's justin bieber singing? they're judging me on my music not based on a flick of my hair, because that's not what i want. although, that's fine. >> you don't hate that. >> yeah, i don't hate that. >> in his new book "just getting started," he gives a candid, behind the scenes look of his life both on and off the road. >> do you draw a line anywhere? is there stuff off limits? >> of course. as soon as they start talking too much into my personal life, my family, my relationships and stuff, i like to keep that private. >> you do give some dating advice. i'm going to read a quote from the book. you say, remember, guys, if your friends give you a hard time about being romantic, it's just

because they don't know how to treat their lady right. >> yes. >> are you a romantic guy? >> i think i am, yeah. >> what's the most romantic thing you've done. >> the most romantic thing i've done is the staple center thing. >> you rented out the staple center, dinner for two, movie night? >> yeah, we watched "titanic." >> he is, of course, referring to girlfriend selena gomez. bieber himself has had headline-making run-ins lately. >> have they gotten any less aggressive? >> not really. they're so annoying. i can't tell you how annoying these people are. like they antagonize you. >> and you talked about the incident on the freeway where you were pulled over for speeding and you called 911. >> i have like five cars following me. >> was that a dangerous moment? >> yeah, definitely. i was definitely, unfortunately going fast, and i feel like i was being irresponsible. but i didn't feel in the moment

i was being irresponsible, but i was so -- my head was like these people are following me, i'm going to a place where i don't need them to be following me. >> last year, justin faced another fire storm after a woman filed a paternity suit claiming he was the father of her child. he denied the allegations but agreed to take a dna test. the suit was withdrawn. >> why did you feel you wanted to talk about that even briefly on the book and on the album? >> when it was all happening and stuff, people were telling me, you can't really talk about it. and so for me, i really wanted to be able to say in my words how i felt. ♪ never had to -- >> away from all the media attention, justin's main focus is music. he's about to embark on his "believe" world tour. sometimes, though, it's not just his own music he believes in. >> for those who don't know, you helped launch the career of carly rae jepsen. >> i was like this is probably

the most catchy song i've ever heard in my whole life. who thought of this song? >> and you made a viral video to help her out. >> well, that was actually before i officially signed her. we were just doing that for fun. >> it was kind of a spontaneous thing. >> and it worked. you have the power to anoint. >> thank you. >> one person we can thank for that power, justin's mother, who in her new memoir reveals that she almost named her world famous son jesse. >> i feel i'm not a jesse, that would have been weird. >> you couldn't have that conversation in that moment. >> yeah, i'm not like, mom, don't name me jesse, please. >> i called him jesse like the whole pregnancy and once he was born i was like, no, he doesn't look like a jesse. >> justin would go on to give his mom a run for her money. >> that was not easy. >> no, you were not easy. >> oh, please, share something. you can't just say that. >> i was not easy. i got suspended from school like every year. >> every year. >> did you think, what a trouble

child i've got? >> you know, i had a teacher tell me, she's like, i have 30 students and one. when he's good, the whole class is good, and when he's bad, the whole class is bad. and i said, you're a leader. and he said i'm a leader. >> a leader who has become an international superstar. and if his book title is to be believed, he's just getting started. >> when you sit at home at night and think about your goals and the things you're striving for next, what's on that next? >> grammys, because i haven't won a grammy. >> have you thought about your speech? >> i haven't, really. when i speak in front of people, i'm not good at it. i think i should prepare because i get up there and i'm like um, thank you to god and thanks for michael jackson. because he made us all. what was i thinking when i said? i don't know. but i should probably think about that. >> by the way, justin will perform on tonight's finale of "america's got talent." and you can see more of ryan's

interview immediately following on "rock center" with brian williams. and more with justin's mom. kathie lee caught up with her. and patty will also join us live in the studio. meantime, coming up next, seth myers on the new season of "snl" right after this. [ male announcer ] we all love dreamers. people and companies who take us places. excite our imagination. make life better. brighten our days. ♪ at jcpenney, we don't want to be another store. we want to be your favorite store. we're creating a whole new way to shop for the brands you love, at values you can believe in. and a bold new look that will look even better on you. ♪

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you naughty thing. and i've got to pick someone. [ thinking ] okay, you just ordered a crispy mcchicken and a fresh-brewed sweet tea for only a buck each off mcdonald's dollar menu, so you're smart. nah, i got nothing. ♪ 8:21, the presidential race is kicking into high gear means that so is the team over at "saturday night live." their 38th season kicks off this weekend. seth myers is the show's head writer and anchor of "weekend update." always good to see you. good morning. >> good to be here. >> how do you describe it? you've been on the show since 2001. >> a little of both. it's very exciting. obviously political seasons are a great time for us, new cast members are exciting to have around. it's good. >> let's talk about some changes. kristin wiig gone, adam samberg.

>> dead to me. >> and you fired all those people. >> all, personally. >> what has changed due to the creative process for someone like you? >> well, the fun thing is when you have new people, you don't really know the breadth of their talent. we had our first table read yesterday, and you could see looking around making eye contact with people that the vets are like, wow, these kids are really good. they have a lot of moves. >> i've read so much about your show over the years, and one of the things that comes up a lot is sometimes the cast can get a little cliquey. >> yeah, we've been lucky with that. >> is it hard for new people to break into this cast. >> well, all three of them came from chicago. we like to go to chicago every year and check out the improv scene. they're already a mini clique. >> and it's them against you. >> they won't talk to us, they p won't sit and have lunch with us, it's really weird. >> i was joking before, but only

partly. as the head writer, do you have the power to hire and get rid of these people? >> no. i like to say that everybody but lorne combines and then our decision is worth 1% of the vote and he has the final 99%. >> 99% of the vote. all right. political season as you mentioned, it's here. have you guys been taking notes all summer long? you've got the debates going on but you go on before them. >> it's very nice when there's something that the entire country's paying attention to. i wish we were on during the conventions. by saturday, i don't know what from the conventions people will still remember. you kind of have to do broad strokes as opposed eopposed. it's fun when a renowned actor and director talk to an empty chair. >> that works for you. >> he says fred armison no longer going to do barack obama. >> jay's in his third season, it is, i feel like this is a transition year for us, time for the young cast to become the vets on the show.

and fred is something better than the president of the united states, which is the mayor of portland oregon. that's a better thing to be. >> and we've got jason sudeikis coming back, which is a good thing considering he does mitt romney and joe biden. >> it would be a bad thing if the two of them had to debate each other. >> how would you do that? is that impossible to do that sketch? >> i think it's impossible. we have to ask -- i have to beg vice president biden to never get in the same shot with mitt romney. it's hard because he's the most unpredictable of our candidates. >> who's going to do paul ryan? >> that i feel like we -- i feel like that's going to be a surprise. no, not me. no, lorne doesn't like it when i'm in sketches. >> okay. >> nor does america. >> because america doesn't like it. you have a lot of politicians lined up. will some of the candidates -- >> look, we would take all of the candidates. every one, even like lower level, comptroller on a local level. >> and finally, your name was bandied about as possibly,

person to sit next to kelly on "live with kelly." did you want that job? >> look, i'm still half asleep right now, i can barely remember who you are. if i had to do it as a full-time job -- i belong to the night. but i love kelly and i think michael's going to do a great job. >> i think you guys will do a great job as the 38th season of saturday night live gets underway this weekend. good luck. >> thank you. >> and you can catch the season premiere with seth macfarland on nbc. just ahead, sarah ferguson, the duchess of york. and more from my go-to playlist.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> if you're heading out at forestville, watch for accident there. 95 is easing up just a bit. 140 and a 795, we have a crash. west side is maxed out from reisterstown road all the way on the outer loop. we have an accident on the elkridge of vicinity.

looks like the accident towards the bottom of your screen is clearing from the right lane. we will switch over to a live view of traffic and see what it looks like on the north side. easing up until you get around 140 on the west side. john collins joins us with a look at the forecast. >> it is sunny out there this morning. nothing going on here as far as the radar is concerned. maybe friday night for us, and that is a big maybe. current temperature, mostly sunny skies, 50 degrees at the airport. the barometer is weihai -- way high. 78834 the high. unseasonably mild temperatures. longer-term forecast, late in the day on friday and may be early saturday, a shower.

otherwise, this nice trend of weather continues for the next few days. >> thank you for joining us. back with another update at 8:56.

♪ 8:30 now on a thursday morning, the 13th day of september 2012. another stellar day in front of a really great string of weather we've had here in the new york city area. nice crowd gathered. maybe we'll be able to hear one more song from my playlist. this is daniel meriwether with adele.

>> oh. >> 2010. she kind of adds to this duet. it's a great song. daniel meriwether's very cool. i hope you like it. i'm matt lauer along with savannah gurthrie, al roker and natalie morales. >> the interview with justin bieber on twitter. >> they're both very big on twitter. and that interview you just heard, people responding to it. >> yeah. >> you can read some of it. >> and more tonight on "rock center." >> that's right. this morning, there's a woman out with a new book with a provocative title "the end of men." she asks the question of whether men are becoming obsolete. >> that's not the book. that's sarah ferguson. >> she's got a book, it's called "ballerina rose." >> that's rightme. and dedicated to her two daughters. we're going to be talking with sarah ferguson coming up. >> and we've also got an author with a controversial title. >> there. that's right. >> they're coming up.

>> that's going to be very exciting. in fact, what they're going to be talking about amongst the topics is your laptop or tablet giving you problems interrupting your sleep? we're going to be chatting with the professionals about that. >> all right. cool. lots to get to. meanwhile, mr. roker, you've got a check of the weather. >> actually, the book is about the end of weather. >> say it isn't so. >> let's see what we've got for you. starting tomorrow as we head toward your weekend. sunny and mild up and around the east coast, a lot of wet weather down through texas in the upper midwest. sunshine and heat continues into the southwest. saturday, more rain centered around texas and oklahoma. beautiful out west, east coast looking good. showers in northern new england. then sunday, sunday, we expect to see lots of gorgeous weather all across the country. it will be gorgeous. that's what's going on aroundat >> it is going to be another nice day. temperatures in the lower end of

the 80's, a little above average to the time of year. a cool start. and as we head to the weekend, want to check your weekend, go to weather channel on cable or weather.com. the justin bieber tweet a couple of minutes ago, you know who is a sensation on twitter this morning? natalie's new do. people like the new look. >> really? >> yeah. i like the bangs. >> what else we got here? >> love the new hairdo. >> feeling a little insecure. thank you. >> you're a little insecure because your husband and kids aren't crazy. >> my little one, luke was like, you look like a boy. >> wow, i think luke's going to need glasses early. >> yeah. exactly. >> it's a change. it's fall, it's new.

something new, different. >> we like it. >> thank you. >> and twitter approves, as well. >> okay. coming up next, sarah ferguson is here talking about her new book. but first this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:36 with sarah ferguson, duchess of york. she's a "new york times" best-selling author. her latest book is called "ballerina rosie" about a little girl who wants to be a prima ballerina. sarah ferguson, duchess of york, it's great to have you back. >> thank you very much. >> tell me about the inspiration -- the 16th children book. i think you've written more than 40 books overall. what's the inspiration for this one? >> well, i know what it felt like. that was me, because i went to ballet school and i kept saying to dad, i'm not right for ballet school. and he said no, no, no off you go. i know that feeling of you want to dance but you just can't.

you try so hard and it's all that confidence and the inspiration is to get children to realize just have confidence, keep going, keep trying. and inspiring little girls to dare to dream. >> so you've already answered my next question. because when i looked at the illustration of rosie with the red hair and she's described as someone who has got a lot of spunk. so this is based on you? >> well, it is, actually. and you can even see my little ballet school in there and ms. 19ly was the teacher. and so i remember that feeling. i couldn't get the moves right. you can one day, might marry a prince. >> yeah, who knows, right? exactly. did you have spunk as a little girl? >> yeah. >> too much spunk? >> well, i still have that, really. >> did you have the "mary tyler moore" show? >> yeah. >> remember the scene where he goes, mary, you got spunk. i hate spunk. i digress. >> anyway, yeah, sorry. that's why i think it's good to be yourself. and i'm inspiring little girls and it's really important to my

heart to do that. >> i like this. you dedicate this book to my beautiful, magical beatriz, the girls who dance in my hearts always. >> they are just incredible. and she did it, apparently, with unfaltering courage, which is incredible. >> they're making more and more appearances on behalf of the royal family. do you think that the public in the uk and here in the u.s. understands them and knows what makes them tick? >> i think they will eventually. the girls are going nice and slow, they're coming out, doing great works with charity. she's ridden a bicycle for charity, and i think eventually people will realize they're taking mini steps and they're doing a great job. >> are you the kind of mom who sits your daughters down and gives them advice? because being in a position they're in can be a double-edged sword. >> yep. >> have you warned them about

that? >> do you know what i say, matt? if you're on the public pavement, sidewalk, smile. because nobody wants to see a grumpy princess. and i say the minute you're out of your front door, you're public. and i don't want -- if you don't want to go out, go out. if you go out, you've got to be nice and realize how lucky you are. and i think humility's key for the girls. >> i was reading something about beatriz that struck me. she does not want to be called -- she is entitled to be called her royal highness. >> well, she really adores her granny, and both girls are brought up to really support the monarchy and know what it is to be a princess. and the girls believe to be a princess, because that's what i've taught them, is princess in the heart. >> it's not what somebody calls you, it's the way you treat other people. >> and that's what i've done in the children's books to instill it's about manners and kindness and generosity of heart. and they really show that.

and they show it more and more. both girls are extraordinary. >> you lead by example in a lot of these situations. children in crisis is an organization you started. i think it was more than 20 years ago. >> yeah, it is 20 years. and you continue to do charity work. and you've already mentioned they've both kind of joined in. was that something that was important for you to teach them? >> yes, absolutely. when they were little girls and complaining about this or that. and i said go outside in the snow without a coat for five minutes because that's what children go through. and i wanted them to realize what it's like to go cold and not have food and not to know what to do. and i think the girls -- it's been in their blood from that time. >> and something else that got my attention. your ex-husband andrew descended the beautiful new skyscraper in london recently to raise money for charity. do you support that? >> he rang me before he went out and said it's a bit misty up here. he was on europe's tallest

building on a pane of glass and it was his idea. he said i think i'll climb down. >> a lot of exes, it would have been their idea. why don't you go down the shard? maybe you can leave the safety harness behind. >> he was -- he's so good. we're a very good family. we believe in each other. and he's a papa bear. and what i like about prince andrew doing that was that he led by example and that's leadership. he was there for the outward bound trust and he said, right, i'll go down the shard. >> and it worked. made headlines. that's for sure. the book is called "ballerina rosie" always nice to see you. and up next, we'll talk about women shattering the glass ceiling. we'll talk to the author of "the end of men" and her husband. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

today's woman is brought to you by mcdonald's, i'm loving it. back now at 8:44 with "today's" woman. this morning, are men obsolete? the dynamics of the american household have changed over the past few decades, where does that leave the battle of the sexes? the author of the new book titled "the end of men and the rise of women" is here along with her husband, online editor for "slate" magazine. good morning to you both. the kitchen table must be interesting around your house. >> exactly. >> you know, it's a provocative title. bait for headline writers and show producers and i'm sure you hope book buyers. is it a little over the top. are you really saying men are becoming obsolete? >> well, here's my husband, he's obsolete and i have two sons, i hope they're not going to be obsolete either. women are having an easier time adapting to the changes in the economy and taking advantage of educational opportunities to get jobs.

and men are frankly having a harder time these days. so what the book does is explain these changes and how they affect, you know, marriages, work, sex, the way we raise our children, and how to navigate this new world. >> i want to talk to you about that in a minute. but i have to ask you, david, do you find the title at all offensive? >> i try not to take it personally. i think the world that she describes is a world that ultimately is going to be better for men and for women. and while there's a difficult transition, perhaps, for me and for some of my colleagues, i think she points away to why this is going to be better for all of us. >> a phenomenon you call plastic woman and cardboard man. and the argument is that essentially women have been more flexible in adjusting to changes in our economy and society and men haven't. >> yes, it's pretty straightforward. if you look over the century, women have just adapted to new ways of being in the public sphere. they take over jobs that used to be exclusively male jobs while men don't do the opposite.

they have a harder time doing things that we may think of as feminine. you know, once women enter a job, men tend to flee the job. whereas women just tend to be more flexible. >> is that your experience, david? you're an online editor, a boss to i assume men and women. do you think men are less flexible than women? >> i do. i think when i look around -- i think this phenomenon's probably less true among college-educated men than it is among men who don't have a college education. but when i look at the most productive and adaptive people who i work with, they do tend to be women. >> when you look at this recession, it's been hard on everybody. it's been particularly hard on men. loss of manufacturing jobs, for example, which hit men more prevalently than women. are can you sure that's not what's at work here? in essence, are you in any way blaming men for the hardships they face in this economy? >> i think a lot of this is circumstantial. and we're asking a lot of men when we ask them to be flexible. because essentially, they've been used to making a lot of money in a manufacturing job whereas women can start at the bottom. they don't have a lot of

breadwinner expectations. they can be more flexible because it's easier for them. they don't have to live up to some idea of what a breadwinner is. so, yes, i think i am, i have -- i wish we could get those manufacturing jobs back and make it easier, honestly. >> women are doing better. there's no question they've improved their positions socially and economically. on the other hand, there is a wage gap, for example, and you can quibble over the numbers, but i think most people agree that women earn less for the same job than men do. you don't see women in the high-profile executive positions at the same rate that you see men. how do you explain that if women are doing so well? >> well, one of my chapters in the book talks about the top and the barriers for women, basically. how we're still a society uncomfortable with female power and a particular kind of aggressive dominant power. so in the book i give specific tips for women about how to get over this and move to the other side, basically, because we're close to a tipping point. there are, you know, 51% of managers right now are women. managers and professionals. and so women are climbing up, but there are issues. issues having to do with the

structure of the workplace, child care, and our feelings about powerful women basically. >> there's a social aspect to this, as well. women and how they relate to men. whether dating or marriage. you've probably seen this, as well. >> sure. and i think that one of the things she points out well in the book, which is troubling for me is the way in which the sexual dynamics have really shifted. because women have taken a lot more control over their sexual lives. and i guess that you see this as really an unadulterated great thing. >> a lot of people ask me dating advice and say i'm in a situation where say my boyfriend can't afford to go on this vacation and i really want to go on this vacation with him. there's a lot of awkwardness around that now. because young women are doing especially well before they have children and they're doing usually better than the men around them. and so it creates kind of awkward dating -- >> i think -- one thing i think is hard for men is what our role is in these new dynamics is harder because we're accustomed

to certain sense of what man is. >> i dedicated the book to my son because he's offended by the title. but i hope when he's older i'll be able to explain to him this is a better, easier world to him i'm describing. >> it's a good conversation starter, that's for sure. the book is "the end of men and the rise of women." what do you think? do you think women are surpassing men? we ask you on today.com. and our poll results show it's about evenly split. 62% said yes, and 38% say no. coming up next, delicious recipes. but first this is "today" on nbc. anncr: this casino's in west virginia.

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brought to you by i can't believe it's not butter. fresh butter taste with 70% less saturated fat than butter. we're back now, 8:51. this morning on "today's cooking school" all about apples. nothing says fall more than the smell of apples and spices baking in the oven. that's what savannah tells me. chris kimbell is here with great seasonal recipes. you're going to make one of my favorite things and that is apple crisp. but what catches my attention right aftoff the bat, you found way to take 240 calories out of this and reduce the fat. >> and you just said, are you

going to like it? you cook them down, they don't have as much flavor when they're baked. so people put a ton of sugar and fat, you don't taste the apples. we're going to thin this down, not to say calories, but to make it taste better. >> but the traditional apple crisp has that topping of brown sugar and butter. and that's what most people like. >> yeah, we have brown sugar and butter. >> what goes in here? >> we're going to make a flour, okay. is what this is. >> okay. >> we have oat flour, we add a little bit more oats to it. we add instead of nuts, we're adding grape nuts, which are crispy. >> as in grape nuts the cereal? >> has in grape nuts the cereal. a little brown sugar, a little flour, of course, cinnamon and salt. and finally, most recipes as you said use a lot of butter and use over a stick. this is 3 tablespoons. when you add it melted, it coats the ingredients better, you don't need quite as much. >> you stir that around. >> then we had six apples, when

you cook with apples, a lot of these turn to apple sauce. grannies will hold their shape a little bit better. >> and you cut three different shapes. >> we cooked these down with a little bit of sugar for about 15 minutes, and this is going to be the basis for the crisp. so we want a good binder. >> okay. >> and also cooking it you get a lot of caramelization. so you can smash that up. >> okay. >> we're going to put that back in the pan with the other three apples i've cut into wedges. >> okay. >> that'll give you a little more texture. >> let's pretend we've just done that. put that back in. >> okay. we're going to take a little bit of this. and just going to put that in here. >> just for some more moisture? >> yeah, a little more moisture and flavor. and the other three apples go in here and a little lemon juice. and those will cook down covered for about two or three minutes. >> let's pretend we did that. now you have texture with the apples, good base with a lot of flavor. >> we're going to take that topping.

>> and you're going to bake this eventually, how long? >> 25 minutes, 400-degree oven, and you're done. it's lean, but it's got a very fresh apple flavor. >> why don't you go with savannah, i'll taste this. >> we start here. >> all right. >> travel a little bit. >> okay. >> we're going to take apples, granny smith, make a flat surface on the bottom. >> all right. >> cut off the top. and you can try this. this is a melon baller. these are baked apples. the problem is, people use an apple corer and get a tiny hole like this. problem is, there's no room for filling. what we want to do is put a major amount of filling in here. so we use a corer like that. >> okay. >> not through the bottom, but a nice big hole in it. >> okay. >> once you do that, we can go back here. >> show us what we're going to do. we're going to bake these. >> these have been done, and these now have been. >> what did you put in the bottom of the pan? >> a little bit of butter. we are using butter here. >> that's all right. >> another problem with baked apples.

here's the problem, they have the skin on and they steam. and when they steam, they fall apart, they blow out. >> okay. >> so we peel them, which nobody else does, then you have the filling to start putting in. >> what's in it? >> brown sugar, pecans, orange dust, cinnamon salt, oats. >> dried cranberry. >> and you throw these in the oven? >> we did a little bit of maple syrup. >> mmm. >> and then we put the top on so it doesn't get over browned. >> i see. >> this goes into a 375 oven about 30 minutes, you end up with those. >> great. >> and you have a wonderful sauce at the same time. these are full of flavor and the apples don't get blown out. >> and this is the best cake we've ever made. >> wow. >> we'll be the judge. grab a fork, guys. >> got a custard base with apples and has a cake. >> recipes on today.com. wait, i need to investigate. >> chris kimbell, thank you very much. >> this is the best cake i've

ever eaten. >> more songs from matt's playlist. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. a 15-year-old accused of a shooting at perry hall high school will lead to court for a hearing this morning. robert gladden jr. has been undergoing a mental health evaluation. he is charged with nine counts

of attempted murder after allegedly bringing a shotgun to

>> we have sunshine here. there is rain in the midwest. kansas, iowa, wisconsin, and that will be moving east. today, great. plenty of sunshine and seasonably mild temperatures.